Sage Minutes
September 6, 2006
3:00 p.m., 3132 Wescoe

Attending: John Wiehl, Heather Bastian, Jen Humphrey, Kristin Bovaird-Abbo, Sonja Kaechele, Angela Glover, Ryan McCarty, Katie Egging, Sarah Jordan, Nate Williams, Steve Mitchely, Amy, Stephanie Scurto, Daryl Lynn Dance, Chloe Jones, Justin Sevenker, Micah Hawkinson, and Keri Behre.

Officers’ reports.

Presidents: There were three new committees approved over the summer. Chloe Jones has agreed to serve on MFA committee, Jen Humphrey will serve on the public and alumni relations (not its official name) committee, and Stephanie Scurto will serve on the Summer Institutes committee.

Regarding the books that were stored in the SAGE computer lab, there are books that are left that we can offer for sale that are on the table and on the shelves. Graduate students of the department can have first crack at them. We’ll accept half the book’s retail price on the back cover. We also want to offer special thanks to Susan Thomas and Nate Williams for selling back books to the Half-Price Bookstore. Total money raised so far is over $150.

Some students have asked about doing a memorial for Professor Bud Hirsch. The department is considering this question as well. Once the executive committee learns the department’s plans, they will recommend what SAGE can contribute.

Justin Sevenker will be first-year liaison; we need one more person, a non-GTA, to fill this role.

Secretary: Nothing to report. Minutes are approved from previous meeting, though Ryan voted twice.

Treasurer: Including the total raised from the book sales, we have $306 and some change in the slush fund. Keri will go to treasurer training Saturday to learn about travel money.

Committee Reports.

First year liaison. Justin Sevenker: Nothing to report.

Academics Anonymous. For AA activities, organizers invite early-career faculty to present their research to gatherings of graduate students. Generally it is for new faculty, to meet them and find out about their research. Food is provided through SAGE. --Micah volunteered to lead AA this semester.

Advisory Committee. Alicia Sutliff (in absentia): The big news is that there will be a pre civil war American lit position. Of interest there are 10 searches in humanities this year, none in English (the literature position excepted). The new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is urging CLAS departments to “tell KU’s story,” and in that effort has requested a 2-page document to tell what the Department of English is about. The dean thinks grad student funding is a priority. One concern to be addressed this year on the Advisory Committee is the health issues of the building. If you have suggestions, tell Alicia, and she’ll take it back to the Advisory Committee.

FSE: Angela Glover, Erin Williams and Heather Bastian: Nothing to report. ?

Graduate assembly. Jennifer Floray Balke and Keri Behre: At the first meeting, we talked about fund raising for getting grad students to conferences -- more info to come. Beyond that, talked about professional development opportunities available throughout the year through the graduate school. They emphasized the availability of KU services such as KU legal services, which they will highlight throughout the year. Keri attended the meeting with Jennifer.

Grad committee. John Wiehl, Ryan McCarty and Jennie Joiner: English 800 is the main topic of the semester for the GC. Contact John, Ryan and Jennie with things you like and don’t about English 800, and what the class should be like, and who should be required to attend.

GTAL. Kristin Bovaird-Abbo: No meeting yet.

Lecturers/Readers. Katy Martin: We have a couple of events coming up, and notification will be going out soon.

Library committee. Stephanie Scurto. No meeting yet.

MFA committee. Chloe Jones. No meeting yet.

Professionalization Skills Committee. Kristin and Alicia: This committee started two years ago. It’s a variety of workshops led by faculty to make us professional, prepare us for conferences, scholarly publishing, etc. We don’t want to offer them too often, but please provide suggestions. What do you need to be a professional in your field?

Public and Alumni Relations. Jen: Haven’t met yet. This committee was formed in an effort to increase alumni giving, tell our stories better, get a presence in the Journal World.

SAGE Advice. Sarah Jordan: Sarah sent an email this summer. She would like to do a master calendar of events. Grad student birthdays, nights out. Sarah will work with Kristin to create electronic calendar. (Sarah notes that she is all over Word.)

SAGE Events Committee. Keri Behre, Daryl Lynn Dance, Cedric Burrows and Alicia Sutliff: As the SAGE Party committee, they have met informally to talk about where to have the annual Halloween party. Perhaps at Keri’s house, which is behind South Park. There are plans to form a social evening, such as the happy hour at Henry’s of yesteryear. The SAGE events committee plans to have a formal meeting that doesn’t take place in the hallway of the basement soon.

Summer institutes. Stephanie Scurto: no meeting yet.

Supplemental funds. Katie Egging: no meeting yet.

SAGE Web site. Kristin: Please forward suggestions for the SAGE Web site to Kristin. We want it to complement the dept. site. How do we want to appear?

Old business

Thanks to all who came to the picnic despite the heat.

Chloe: Angela Glover and I took over the graduate student reading series from Jenny Noyce. Typically, there are MFA student readers, but all of us need your support. We plan to have readings Sunday afternoons at Henry’s at 5 p.m. There are five planned a semester. We are trying to bring in people from outside, too, and looking at different formats such as community theatre situations. --One suggestion was to team with the Kiosk people, who also do readings.

John: Other things the executive committee has been looking at are other fund raisers. We’ve made a lot from the books, but it might be fun to try something else. SAGE panhandling event, SAGE carwash, SAGE requests…Please send us your suggestions.

Byron Caminero-Santangelo has asked us to help in the effort to reduce classes getting dropped. We want a form to streamline the process of requesting specific classes. What would we put on the form? Maybe what classes do you want taught, who do you want to teach them. Because Byron is reluctant to propose a class unless there are several students (5 or more) requesting a class, maybe we could have space to put multiple names on the form. Could we have a list of old classes online? –Yes, Lydia has kept those up to date. We could look at faculty we want to work with, an interest that they haven’t taught.

Question about the web page – members of new committees aren’t online. Could Bob Elliott give us a copy? Kristin needs the full roster of who’s on which committee, especially the last three formed.

Next meeting is the first Wednesday of the month, 3 p.m Oct. 4.

Meeting adjourned.

Minutes submitted by Jen Humphrey, Secretary.